DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The sixth lead change proved to be the last on Thursday night as the defending NCAA II National Champions Tampa Spartans opened a three-game series at Embry-Riddle with a 14-10 win. The two teams combined for 37 hits as nine players posted at least three base knocks each at ERAU's Sliwa Stadium. The Spartans (22-4) rallied from a 9-6 deficit in the seventh and a 10-9 deficit in the eighth, scoring the game's final five runs to send the Eagles (18-11) to their second straight loss.
The Eagles, who scored 10 runs in a loss for the first time since an 11-10 loss to Tampa on April 21, 2015, answered Tampa's lone run in the top of the first with a five-run home-half of the opening inning, chasing UT starter Michael Calkins from the game before he could record the second out.
Tobias Moreno and
Liam Goodall started the inning with back-to-back doubles before
Enderson Velasquez singled and
Kyle Zirbes walked.
Joshua Garcia's RBI single through the right side of the infield was the last straw for Calkins who gave way to Mark Moclair.
Matt Jacobs greeted the UT reliever with an RBI single and after a walk and the second out, Moreno recorded his second hit of the inning, an RBI single to left that drove in the fifth and final run of the frame for a 5-1 Eagle lead.
Troy Naab, the Eagles' starter, gave up the first of two home runs to Tampa catcher Chris Gaffney in the second, a two-run shot that trimmed the Eagle lead to 5-3, and the Eagles couldn't answer in their half of the second, despite loading the bases with one out.
UT pulled within a run in the third, and for the second straight inning the hosts grounded into an inning-ending double play to send the game to the fourth.
Gaffney fell behind 0-2 to Naab before tying the game with a solo homer to left, and the Spartans would go on to take a 6-5 lead when Kevin Santa tripled to right, bringing in Danny Lee for the go-ahead run.
The Eagles wasted two hits in the home fourth, but
Dylan Demarest, starting the fifth on the mound for the Blue and Gold, went three-up, three-down keep the deficit to just one run.
Kyle Zirbes homered for the second time in as many games to start the bottom of the fifth, knotting the contest at 6-6, and Jacobs followed later in the inning with a solo homer himself, giving the Eagles a 7-6 advantage.
After a scoreless sixth from Demarest, Embry-Riddle added two runs to their lead, the first on a wild pitch as Velasquez scored from third, and the second on a Jacobs sacrifice fly to center as
Jonathan Camp came in for a 9-6 Eagle lead.
The three-run difference disappeared in the seventh as the Spartans recorded four hits, including three to start the inning, tying the game on a sac fly from Zion Bell.
ERAU came right back in its turn to bat in the seventh, taking their final lead of the night on a Velasquez single to right center, scoring Goodall from second after the senior singled with two outs before stealing second.
Tampa started the eighth with two walks and a sac bunt to put runners at second and third with one out.
Joey Swinarski came in for Demarest and after an RBI groundout from Santa, threw a wild pitch that gave UT an 11-10 lead.
ERAU loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth with two outs, but a ground ball induced by Connor Andrews ended the inning as the Eagles failed to score for the first time since the fourth.
The visitors added three insurance runs in the ninth and Andrews faced the minimum in the last of the inning to secure the 14-10 win both for himself and the Spartans.
The loss went to Demarest (2-1) in 3.1 innings of work. Moreno finished 4-for-5 while Goodall, Velasquez and Jacobs all collected three hits. Jacobs drove in three runs while Goodall, Velasquez and Zirbes all scored twice.
The Eagles and Spartans will conclude their series with a twin bill, beginning at 3 p.m. tomorrow, Friday, March 25 at Sliwa Stadium.
